Momiji's Christmas Shoes
by Felix Falora
Summary: A songfic about Momiji buying his mother some Christmas Shoes with the help of a kind Aethiest teenager who decides to pay for them. AU because Momiji's mother actually loved her son. Rated K due to death, but no violence, cursing, or sexual themes.


Author's Note: Now for my second Christmas fanfiction while I'm still ungrounded. I flipped my history teacher the bird, so I doubt I'll be around for anymore when the referral gets processed :( Anyway... This is a Fruits Basket, my coupling from Bunny Love, but it's alternate universe. First off... Momiji is poor. Secondly... his mother does love him, but she's dying (If you've listened to Christmas Shoes, you'll understand why this is the way it is), and finally... some things would obviously be different, such as Masahiro, playing the man, getting pulled off by Momiji to see his mother. Anyway... enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the manga Fruits Basket nor the song or movie The Christmas Shoes. All rights go to their respective owners. I am just a fan who decided to combine the two into a little song fic.

Momiji's Christmas Shoes

Who would have ever guessed I'd find love in the middle of shopping during the holidays? Funny how life throws a twist or two in your direction, eh?__

It was almost Christmas time, there I stood in another line

I did not really celebrate Christmas due to the fact that it was all about Jesus' birth, the birth of God's son. There was just one problem with that belief... God didn't exist, so he obviously had no son, correct?  
_  
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two, not really in the Christmas mood_

I was trying my best to keep my patience and I was tapping my feet, glancing at my watch every two seconds, but I noticed the boy in front of me seemed worse then me.  
_  
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiously_

He had blonde hair, he looked somewhat foreign, and his brown eyes, almost rabbit-looking, tall as they were open, looking at the object within his hands, though I did not catch what it was yet as he kept moving.  
_  
Pacing 'round like little boys do_

My eyes kept wandering, trailing him and the object in his hands, until I could finally make out what they were. I did not speak as it did not bother me, though I wondered why he was holding them still.  
_  
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes_

Shoes... A pair of women's shoes in a box. I figured it might be a Christmas present for someone within his family, but if for himself, who was I to complain? It was his lifestyle, right?__

His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe

I noticed he was wearing very ragged clothing and I began to wonder how he was going to even afford the shoes in the first place. It was very confusing to me, but then the person above him moved and it was his turn.  
_  
And when it came his time to pay_

We walked forward, him in front of me still and me behind him. When he put the shoes up, he also placed some money in front of it as well. I looked at it and noticed... He was still short on some cash.  
_  
I couldn't believe what I heard him say_

But then he began to speak. The words that came out of his mouth... were beautiful in my opinion, even to one such as me who did not believe in a concept such as God or his son, whether Jesus was real or not.__

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please

"Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please."  
_  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size_

"It's Christmas Eve and these shows are just her size."__

Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time

"Could you hurry, sir? Daddy says there's not much time."  
_  
You see she's been sick for quite a while_

"You see... she's been sick for quite a while."  
_  
And I know these shoes would make her smile_

"And I know these shoes would make her smile."  
_  
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight_

"And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight."

Such a selfless heart and a selfless mind... Something that someone like me has never seen before... I wanted to treasure it forever, but then the man began to count the boy's money.__

He counted pennies for what seemed like years

As he went through the boy's pennies, time seemed to drag on and on. I could not even begin to count how long it had been since he had gotten up to the cashier. It was a good thing no one else was behind me.  
_  
Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"_

When the cashier was finished, he raised his head up and shook it at the boy softly. "Son, there's not enough here," he said softly, pushing the shoes away. "You're gonna have to return these if you don't have the money for it."  
_  
He searched his pockets frantically_

The boy began to go through his pockets quickly, turning them inside out and coming up with nothing. It was sad... truely very sad... But he didn't seem to have a frown on his face as he turned.  
_  
Then he turned and he looked at me_

His eyes wandered into mine, so big and so brown. My eyes looked into his and I hoped it was not with my usual trademark glare because I didn't want to scare him. It would be a shame if I did."  
_  
He said Mama made Christmas good at our house_

He gave me a soft, sad smile. "Mama made Christmas good at our house," he said softly.  
_  
Though most years she just did without_

His eyes then fell, though the sad smile remained on his face. "Though... most years she just... did without it."  
_  
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,_

He then looked back up at me and I felt sad as he continued looking at me with his sad smile. "Tell me... Sir... what am I going to do?"  
_  
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes_

I could see the tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "Somehow... Somehow... I've just got to buy her these Christmas shoes."__

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out

I couldn't stand it. My heart began to ache. I sighed. put everything I had to the side, and then placed what money I had alongside his. "I'll pay the rest of the charges," I said softly to the cashier, who nodded and took our money before giving me the shoes.  
_  
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said_

I took the shoes, then turned towards the boy and handed him the shoes softly. "Here you go," I said. His eyes brightened up, his smile becoming bigger, more realistic as he took the shoes into his hand.  
_  
Mama's gonna look so great_

"Thank you... Mama's... Mama's gonna look so great," the boy said to me. I noticed the tears were still in his eyes, however... I guess he was that happy about it.__

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please

"Yeah... whatever I could do to help," I said, shrugging as the boy held the shoes close to him. However, he continued looking at me. I did not feel uncomfortable under his gaze, but curious as to why he would look at me like that.  
_  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size_

"I have no more money, so if you want me to buy you anything else..." I began. "Could you come with me please?" the boy asked. "... Huh?" Now I was greatly confused.  
_  
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time_

"Why?" I asked. The boy smiled up at me. "Silly. Mama would like to thank you for helping me," he said. "... ... ... Inviting me to your house when you hardly know me is kinda dumb, right?" I asked.  
_  
You see she's been sick for quite a while_

"She's in the hospital though," the boy said, then, before I could speak more, he tugged at my arm and began to pull me along with him. "H-Hey... Come on," I said, but he didn't listen to me, so I sighed and just began to follow.  
_  
And I know these shoes would make her smile_

We travelled down the snow covered roads towards the hospital, the boy moving rather eagerly while I just trailed behind. I noticed the hospital looked rather run-down, but maybe it was better then nothing... maybe.  
_  
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight_

We walked into the main lobby. I had given him my name, Masahiro Watanabe, and he had given me his, Momiji Sohma. People seemed to watch us as we walked past. I was used to such stares; my foster parents gave them to me all the time. However, as we walked in the room... I noticed a man crying over a still woman.__

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love  


The man looked up at the boy and shook his head. "... I'm sorry, Momiji... She fell asleep... I thought she'd wake up, but..."  
_  
As he thanked me and ran out_

I looked at the woman and could see the boy's facial expression drop softly as he walked towards her, the corpse of his mother.  
_  
I knew that God had sent that little boy_

He opened the box and took the shoes out, placing them on the woman's feet softly and tying them together. I could not see the point in it, but... I didn't speak anyway... It was obvious he was doing what he felt was right.  
_  
To remind me just what Christmas is all about_

After tying the last show on, his face lifted up in another sad smile, the same one he had at the store, and he began to speak again. I listened to the words and I could tell he was crying as they sounded strained and sad.__

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please

"Hi Mama... It's me... Momiji-chan... I just wanted to introduce you to Masa-chan... He's... He's the one who helped me get you your Christmas presents."  
_  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size_

"He's a really nice person... I'm sure you would've liked to meet him... And I... I hope you like your new present." I saw the tears dripping to the ground now. It wrenched my heart open.  
_  
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time_

"He... He paid for it after all... To help me get it for you... Because I couldn't afford it..." Momiji broke down crying now. I kept my cool. I didn't want to show any weakness. The man, Momiji's father, I guessed, looked at me with a soft smile on his face.  
_  
You see she's been sick for quite a while_

"Thanks... Her happiness means the world to Momiji... And I'm sure she's very happy up in Heaven now," he said to me. Could this be God's almighty love, the love all those Christians believe in? It feels so... real...  
_  
And I know these shoes would make her smile_

"I'm sure she is, sir," I said softly, smiling as I nodded. "And I pray you'll get to reunite with her when it's your time as well."  
_  
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight_

"Well it was nice seeing you, Masa-chan," the man said, shaking my hand. I shook his as well. "It's a pleasure," I replied softly. "... Thank you, truely, for what you've done," he said. I nodded, then I walked out of the room.

_And I want her to look beautiful_

The minute I closed the door and walked outside the hospital, tears began streaming down my face. I had been hurt before, but to see someone's family torn like that... It hurts a lot... Especially after what he had been through to get his mother those shoes.__

If Mama meets Jesus tonight

The true meaning of Christmas... is about giving to others... not recieving... Because when you can give to another person, even if you don't know them... You have accomplished something wonderful... Even if you don't know it.

(Next Day)

He went to my school. He went to my school and I never even knew it. We met after class and we discussed different things. However... what happened afterwards... I'll never forget. He thanked me again... then he kissed me before running off to go home.

The next day, I found out he got evicted, so I offered him some room in my house. As long as I paid for everything, my foster parents didn't give a damn. I tried to talk his father into coming with me, but he said he wouldn't be able to face Momiji again penniless, so he went off to get a job and left me to care for the young-looking teenage boy.

It's funny how one minute you buy a pair of shoes for someone who wants to give them to his mother who just died after falling asleep... ok, maybe not so funny there... but then that same boy you ended up helping out... comes to live with you and become someone you cherish dearly.

_Fin_

Not as good as my Hellsing one, but that was made to be comedic while this was made to be the kind of story you go "Awwwww" at the end of.


End file.
